PCP appointment last week and doc tells me he doesn't like the looks of that spot on my forehead. Told him I was due for dermatology visit anyway...got home and called dermatology..."Can you come in this afternoon?" Yeah, spot biopsied...got word just now: melanoma...referred to a melanoma surgery specialist.

I'm sure I'll learn all about this stuff soon enough but, in the Finest Campfire Tradition, I am reaching out for the Real Story from those who've BTDT. What are your experiences. Note: this thread is fine without pictures.

Malanoma and squamous cell are two different varieties. I just had squamous cell removed from the top of my head. No big deal. Melanoma is more dangerous, which is why they want to get right on it.

In any case, the most likely course is removing your little friend, and that will NOT be a nasty procedure. Stitches for 2 weeks, free facelift.

I might be wrong but melanoma can metastasize or spread to other organs. That's what makes it dangerous.

I've never had cancer so I should probably put a cork in it. Good luck man.

So far, knock on wood, I've not had that occur. ...but I have a feeling it's right around the corner. I'm 72 and spent years outdoors with no more than a ball cap.
An old calf roper I know refused to wear a brimmed hat of any sort...until about 10 years ago!
You won't find even a "Gimme" cap on his house.
The edges of his ears looks like rats have been chewing on them from all the cancers he's had removed.

I've showed all my "spots" to my PCP. So far, he says we just need to "watch them". 🤔

I read an article where a woman, not the outdoorsy type, had a spot appear under a toe nail.
She eventually succumbed to melanoma.

I'd say you're doing the right thing!

Brimmed hats, summer, winter, spring and fall.
Long sleeve shirts, summer winter spring and fall.
I even got some of those cheapie fishing gloves WalMart sells to cover all but my finger tips.
No shorts.
Sun glasses.

Had melanoma removed from the left side of my face four years ago. Took three trips to the dermatologist before they got all of it. Section removed was about 1 1/2 inches wide by 4 inches long. This all started out as a little red spot the diameter of a pencil eraser. They took out so much skin that it could not be stitched. For 2 1/2 months my wife had to put dressing on the exposed area and cover with gauze twice a day until it healed. Looking in a mirror I tried to cover it once. Had dressing in my ear and gauze over my eye. LOL. The dermatologist has no idea how much the melanoma has spread until skin is removed and sent to the lab for testing to see if they removed all of the cancerous cells. Everything has been fine since the removal.
You are wise to have this addressed ASAP because melanoma cells easily metastasize. You will get through it ok. You probably will have a scar. I do but it really adds to that tough SOB look.

Advise here is all well, and good, but see a real Doctor!

Personal experience says act now, get it taken care of and continue to monitor regularly with your dermatologist.

Don’t treat it like one and done.

Good luck.

One of my son's inlaws only lasted about 10 months after a melanoma was discovered on his back. He had ignored it long enough for it to metastasize. He worked outdoors without a shirt for years, and had skin the consistency and color of leather. It was not an easy way to go.

I don’t ask or give medical advice anymore

The Haven’t Been To a Doctor in 30 Years Experts on here are a way higher form of intelligence.

I did have some shît cut off my neck before though.

There are two types of folks in the world - Those who have had some form of skin cancer cut out of um, and those who will.

Catch it early and no problems; ignore it and roll the dice.

It can show up anywhere. It doesn’t have to be an area exposed to the sun.

Since posting earlier, the dermatologist called, gave me a little more information. Apparently it's only in the top layer of skin and "should" be easy to deal with. I just got off the phone with the office of the guy who is going to do the MOHS surgery, got that all set up. 7:45 AM appt because "He likes to start early in case it takes all day." Also, no exercise and don't lift over 5 pounds for a week. That Saturday is my IDPA day....damn.

Had it cut too.

Being a lifeguard for highschool and college and then never putting on sunscreen for 30 years. Now I see my dermatologist more than my doctor...

An ounce of prevention...

I was warned many times in my life and hubris prevailed.

Good move.

You may look like Zorro got to you after the doc is through but that can be fixed easily enough.

You might want to advise your children, if you have any, that melanoma can have a hereditary attachment associated with it.

"Chicks dig scars"!

Follow doctors orders, drink some beer too

For some reason, unknown to me but highly recommended by Northern Dave, he recommends that you chug a can of frozen OJ and shave your junk. It’s a good remedy for various ailments so I don’t see what it could hurt with a little melanoma. 😁

Seriously though….I’ve had several friends that have had melanoma cut out off of them several times each and it was a simple, clean and relatively painless procedure. Definitely don’t waste time but you’ll be fine. I wish you all the best.

Thanks all, for support and experiences. Only to add , a kind of peripheral issue: I found out a few years ago that I am allergic to sunscreen. Anybody else? Even the “nonallergenic” ones cause me to break out in hives. Have even tried the plain zinc oxide type and the result is the same. Long sleeves, wide-brim hats…

I can't wear sunscreen either, it irritates my skin. I do wear a ball cap and have long hair, so that helps.

Get on this yesterday- it's nothin to pizz around with.

Well, it was found early, that is the good thing. Now follow your doctors advise.

As explained to me it the stuff you did in your 20's and 30's that is coming back to haunt you now. However, my doctor recommended yearly checkups and yes I have a bunch of samples for testing yearly and so far I have been doing well. You would have thought that they froze my ears, face, hands, arms and head after every visit.

Brimmed hat, long sleeve shirts and gloves when working out side. I have picked up a bunch of the new sun block shirts and some fingerless gloves to wear. Purchase sun screen by the case and use it liberally, I was advised. I went with the grease less sun block as I hate having to wipe off every time you come in and or lube up when going out side. They had me on something one year, where I got sunburn sitting under our covered patio on the North side of the house (that was a possible side effect). so make sure that you read the directions on what ever you are prescribed.

I haver had friends, who were looked at every month for their melanoma. It puts you on a schedule of care that you need to pay attention to.

I've had Mohs skin surgery twice for basal cell and they make you wait until they do the analysis to make sure they got it all before they let you go home. Then it is every 3 months back at the dermatologist for a year, then yearly. I don't like sun screen either, so I bought the Simms white face and head covering and Fish Hawk finger-less gloves that the bone fishermen in Florida wear. That and a big brimmed dorkish hat and wrap around sun glasses and I can pretty well hide from the sun. I wore aviator sun glasses for too long fishing and the sun got my right eyebrow, so those wrap around glasses work better.

Basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma in degrees of severity. Get yourself in there asap.

Not to be a downer, but my good neighbor, a vet, who was a redhead had a small one on his back removed one June. By the second June afterward, he was dead. I sat with his wife as he died with tumor growing everywhere. On the other hand my brother’s wife has two sisters who had them excised years ago and seem to be doing ok.

I feel (I have no data) that individual’s immune systems factors in on how our bodies deal with cancer cells. Some seem to succumb fast and early while others who toiled under the sun for decades, and who routinely burned, die in their beds in their 90’s. And that would all would seem to have a genetic basis.

Of course, that may hold for all cancers.

Get rid of any questionable skin lesions posthaste. Or quicker.